June 8 is World Ocean Day, an opportunity to recognize that the ocean influences nearly every aspect of our lives. It produces over half of the planet’s oxygen, supports the greatest abundance of life on our planet, and because it facilitates transportation and recreation, it is indispensable to the world's economy. Nearly half of all species on Earth depend on the ocean for survival.
“The ocean sustains all life on Earth. It provides livelihoods for millions of people. We eat fish from the ocean. It connects us. It feeds us. It drives our climate. And it's really an integral part of many cultures. And many countries around the world define themselves by the sea,” said Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jose Fernandez.
But it is no exaggeration to say that today, the ocean is under serious threat from pollution, over-fishing, and loss of coastal habitats, most of it caused by human activity.
To protect and conserve the ocean, the United States last year introduced the Ocean Conservation Pledge. It is a very simple pledge, said Under Secretary Fernandez.
“We pledge to conserve 30 percent of the oceans under our jurisdiction in the U.S. And that's something that we plan to accomplish by the year 2030 and call it a 30 by 30 pledge.”
We're also working with partner countries and organizations to protect and sustain the ocean including by reducing illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, said Under Secretary Fernandez.
“World Ocean Day is an opportunity to come together and galvanize support for conservation in the ocean, for keeping the ocean pristine, and to finding ways to stop pollution from the ocean. We are running out of time in order to clean up our ocean. We have a crisis with the ocean, and we have our work cut out for us.”
The United States is committed to protecting our ocean and securing a better future for the planet.
